Senior Nutrition Private Donation Incentives

New matching fund for seniors’ meals

Beginning May 6, 2026, Utah establishes the Senior Nutrition Private Donation Matching Fund to support home-delivered meals for seniors. Local area agencies receive money to match qualifying donations they raise. The fund can receive state appropriations, private donations, and interest earnings. This law provides no appropriation and sets no matching rate or individual benefit amount. Donations must be separate from money used for matching under the existing senior nutrition program. Goods or services donated instead of money, and donations from people receiving agency services, do not qualify. Public-entity donations qualify only when received after December 31, 2025, and only for increases over that entity’s previous fiscal-year donation. The fund cannot include donations or appropriations made before July 1, 2025. The division must develop a formula based on local need. Need reflects seniors receiving or waiting for home-delivered meals and their share of the area's total population. The formula must account for the existing state formula, higher rural service costs, and less rural fundraising capacity. The division must report the formula to the Social Services Appropriations Subcommittee.